• LATEST: Coffee shop owner speaks out after ‘pop-up wedding’ that overran business

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis coffee shop alleges a “pop-up” wedding took over the small business on New Year’s Eve, blocking the business from serving other customers.

Mansion Society is a coffee shop on the west side of town in the Hawthorne neighborhood located at 202 Steeples Blvd.

According to three Instagram posts shared by the coffee shop an entire wedding party, an officiant, photographers, and guests came in on New Year’s Eve and “[proceeded] to have a wedding ceremony with zero knowledge to us.”

The shop shared a video of the unapproved wedding ceremony in their first update post on Instagram, which can be found here. The business said it initially declined to share the clip of the wedding out of respect, but ultimately changed course when faced with the “lack of accountability from the wedding party.”

The original post further shared that, “The group of about 20-30 people continued to not only have a wedding ceremony but take pictures, videos and block pathways for customers trying to enter Mansion Society.”

The second post also shared screenshots of an email from the management team to the bride.

That email said the group blocked customers attempting to order with the wedding photoshoot, rearranged furniture, and blocked the parking lot by parking valet style in a line instead of within the designated spots.

“When our barista asked your party to please move out of the way that you were blocking our customers, your photographer told us, ‘No, wait at least 5 minutes,’” the email said. “Your guest went as far as to block our parking by not even using parking spots and lining cars along the entrance valet style.”

The Mansion Society has fielded a lot of comments and questions about their decision to let the ceremony continue.

The team said 1899, a wedding venue owned by Central State, is next door, and it is not uncommon for wedding guests to come in to purchase a drink at their shop. The post said the guests for this “pop-up” wedding came in throughout a 15-minute period.

“We figured they were waiting for their entire group before getting up to order,” the post said. “The bride walked in and the ceremony immediately began. We were taking orders, slinging drinks, and we couldn’t stop a wedding ceremony mid-way. The social media backlash could have been cancel-worthy if spun the right way. Our shock froze us in the moment.”

According to the second post, the Mansion Society does offer private events for a fee of $500 and requires a consumption minimum and a tip for staff, but the “pop-up” wedding did not pay any of this.

“We will wait for a payment from the bride to hopefully leave this in the past, an invoice has been sent,” the first update post said. “(Although we’re not expecting any sort of compensation from them, they don’t see themselves in the wrong in this situation).”

The Mansion Society team said that when they got in contact with the bride in question, she offered to make a $200 donation and the team responded, asking her to pay the full amount.

“We don’t need a donation of $200, we need you to pay the fee to use a place that you did not previously hire for a wedding ceremony, or at least ask if it is okay for it to be held in our facilities,” the email said. “The normal rate for a weekend rental is $500, and we look forward to receiving the payment as soon as possible.”

The shop shared a second update on Instagram attributed to Zorayda L., a co-founder and the mother of the mother-daughter duo that owns the business.

The post said the bride responded to the request by saying, “That’s unreasonable.”

The Mansion Society coffee shop is working with the leasing manager of Central State because the wedding party did not get consent to do a photo shoot in the building.

This information comes from three social media posts shared on the Mansion Society’s Instagram page. The original post was shared one week ago, the first update was posted two days later, and the second update was posted three days after that.

News 8 reached out to the Mansion Society and will update this story they respond.

The text of the original post sharing details of the incident can be found below:

Hi all! Happy holidays!

Today, 12/31 we had a odd eventful day at Mansion that we feel the need to share. As most of you know, we’re a small-owned business and do our best to provide the best service to all! Today while our staff was expecting a normal Sunday, we noticed a downpour of patrons walking in. Soon enough, there was a full bridal & groomsmen party, a wedding officiant, wedding photographers, & patrons leaving personal items including wedding gifts, coats purses all throughout the coffee shop as they took over. A (beautiful) bride walked in and processed to have a wedding ceremony with zero knowledge to us. We book for private events and are proud to host bridal & baby showers, engagement shoots, parties, and all sorts of private events. We book for private events and are proud to host bridal & baby showers, engagement shoots, parties, and all sorts of private events. We are delighted to be considered beautiful enough to host any special events! The group of about 20-30 people continued to not only have a wedding ceremony but take pictures, videos and block pathways for customers trying to enter Mansion Society. They were asking us to take coats, purses, and watch personal items as if they had rented us out for a private event. We debated not sharing todays event and what to share, we are ultimately sharing to ask our patrons to please be considerate, mindful and consider booking us for a PRIVATE EVENT, other than showing up and taking control of our small business with no notice or any sort of monetary prearrangement. Thank you to all who took the time to read this.

With love & respect, the Mansion Society fam 🤍

Mansion Society Instagram @mansionsocietyindy

The text of the post updating followers with additional information can be found below:

Hello again, we have an update.

We’d like to update you on our “pop-up” wedding saga. It has been an overwhelming couple of days and we first want to thank you all for your support, kind words, reassurance we are in the right and even a go fund me has entered the group chat. We will try our best to answer all questions in this post to move forward. Yes, the post has reached the bridal party in question. The bride to be specific. She reached out via email offering a “$200 donation.” We have sent a reply and in full transparency we will be posting our response. A clip of the wedding taking place (something we chose to exempt in our original post, out of respect but given the lack of accountability from the wedding party here it is) We will wait for a payment from the bride to hopefully leave this in the past, an invoice has been sent. (Although we’re not expecting any sort of compensation from them, they don’t see themselves in the wrong in this situation). We’d also like to mention that the leasing manager of Central State (& many other buildings including the 1899 building venue) is working with us because they also got no approval to do a full photoshoot in the building with no consent or permit.

Now, to answer the most asked questions..

Why didn’t we stop it? Why didn’t we ask them to leave immediately. It’s normal for us to have wedding guests during the weekends, 1899 is next door (wedding venue that belongs to Central State) & it’s very common for us to serve a latte before or after their ceremony. The wedding guests came in a 15 min timeline, sat down. We figured they were waiting for their entire group before getting up to order. The bride walked in and the ceremony immediately begin. We were taking orders, slinging drinks and we couldn’t stop a wedding ceremony mid way. The social media backlash could have been cancel worthy if spun the right way. Our shock froze us in the moment. In our email response to the bride, we break down what her party did.

With love and respect, the Mansion Society team 🤍

Mansion Society Instagram @mansionsocietyindy

The text of the email shared in the first update post can be found here:

I’m co-owner of the coffee shop. I have sat down with my partner and our staff and are all in agreement, including the building manager for the leasing company.

You took control of without prior notice to have your wedding here for more than an hour. The person that tried to make a reservation for “a table of 6” to sign some documents was with the building manager, to which he told us but we don’t make reservations if we don’t do private events that obviously have a cost.

When both you and your group arrived, they asked about the reservation, to which the barista on duty answered that we did not make reservations but you could have a seat at the long table and you can come up to order and we bring everything out.

Without asking, consideration and zero care to those patrons around you or us you proceeded to have a wedding at the coffee shop with a group of at least 20 people. Moving sofas, chairs, coffee tables, end tables, cushions, etc. Leaving our staff returned everything to its place.

We don’t need a donation of $200, we need you to pay the fee to use a place that you did not previously hire for a wedding ceremony or at least ask if it is okay for it to be held in our facilities.

The normal rate for a weekend rental is $500 and we look forward to receiving the payment as soon as possible.

Since for more than 20 minutes you and your party interrupted the entrance to our building blocking customers with your photoshoot at the main door, just like when they entered the cafe and the line of customers was behind your party waiting for the same photoshoot just trying to order their coffee. When our barista asked your party to please move out of the way that you were blocking our customers your photographer told us “no, wait at least 5 minutes”

Your guest went as far as to block our parking by not even using parking spots and lining cars along the entrance valet style.

Your “donation” doesn’t even meet minimum consumption requirements, our rental fee or a tip to the staff working for having to work an event no one even knows would happen free of cost.

We wait for your response and how to go about sending your invoice

– Mansion Society team

Mansion Society Instagram @mansionsocietyindy

The second Instagram update can be found here:

Hello everyone!
As you all know Mansion Society was created by a mother and daughter, this post is written by the mom (Zorayda) who always has her golden doodle Eros with her ❤️Mansion Society is a family business where my daughter Barbie is a full time barista who welcomes and prepares coffee with love and respect for each of you. As a result of the “Pop Up” wedding on December 31, two posts have been made, the first was created by the surprise and indignation of our team. In which I include myself because I work part-time to save an extra salary and thus stay afloat. People may know me because I take orders to the tables, ask if everything is okay, prepare orders, and take the time to choose your glasses, plates and silver trays in which everything is served, Im the one who has the eye for the details. Mansion is a equal partnership with my eldest daughter, we each take on different roles on day to day & behind the scenes. Over the course of two years we have learned a lot about being in the customer service industry and as the saying goes “The customer is always right” In this case, I make an exception. Has already explained in the two previous posts plus in the comments that we’ve responded to. Popular opinion has been supportive, positive & encouraging. There are some who accuse us of ruining a wedding days joy & memories. We decided to post an update because the bride offered a “donation of $200” without an apology or accepting responsibility for the event without consent after the Central state building manager contacted her. As for an update, she responded “That’s unreasonable.” She has not replied to our invoice.

Please respect all the small local businesses that are trying to stay open and provide jobs and service to the city for the better.

With love and respect,

Zorayda L. Co-Founder

Zorayda L. Co-Founder @mansionsocietyindy